in unity there is strength
by cappuchoni
Summary: Cheryl and Toni at Thistlehouse after Jughead kicked them out of the Serpents Post 03x09 "No Exit"


"Can you believe this? I mean how could that beanie wearing hobo do this?" Cheryl marched around her room in anger.

After returning to Thistlehouse on Toni's bike the pair wordlessly made their way to their bedroom. Cheryl had stomped up the stairs in anger while Toni dragged behind, her head held in both shock and defeat.

"Cher…"

"After everything we've done for them! After everything _you've_ done for them! For him!"

"Cheryl…"

"This is an outrage, TT! I won't stand for this. I'm going to go back down to the river and give that ragamuffin a piece of my mind," she continued, not registering Toni's pleas.

"Cheryl, stop!"

The redhead stopped her pacing instantly, her focus snapping to her girlfriend. Only then did Cheryl notice the tears streaming down Toni's face. "TT, I'm so sorry," she ran to her, throwing her arms around the shorter girl. "I just want to fix this."

"There's no fixing t-this, C-Cher. We're o-out." Toni's cries instantly turned into full blown sobs as her body shook against Cheryl's. Her knees gave out on her, and she collapsed to the floor, pulling the redhead down with her.

"Please tell me what to do, Toni. Please," Cheryl begged. She felt lost. She knew this was her fault, even if Toni willingly went along with her plans. And she had even gotten Fangs kicked out as well in her feeble attempts to avoid their fate.

 _You really fucked this up, Blossom._

"Babe," Cheryl continued, tears beginning to fall down her cheeks as well. "What can I do?"

"Nothing," her voice muffled into Cheryl's red Serpent jacket, which she had yet to remove. "There's n-nothing we c-can do. My f-fam-family…"

"I'm still your family, TT. Just like you're mine," Cheryl told her as she gently ran her pale fingers through Toni's pink highlights.

They stayed like that for a while, simply holding each other on the floor of their shared bedroom. Cheryl tried to be strong for Toni, knowing right now that's what her girlfriend needed, but inside she felt just as broken as the girl in her arms.

The redhead was used to her family not wanting her. Clifford and Penelope always treated her as a burden that came along with Jason. She was never wanted by them, a fact they had reminded her of nearly every day.

 _The Serpents don't want you. You'll never have a family who wants you. Your own parents didn't even want you._

Jason had wanted her, but Cheryl couldn't help be wonder if he would have still loved her if they weren't siblings. Would he had wanted to be her friend if they hadn't been twins? She didn't allow herself to go down those rabbit holes, knowing they would only lead her down a self destructive path.

Toni was all she had. Yes, her Nana loved her, but Cheryl could see her grandmother getting weaker as time went on and knew she wouldn't be around indefinitely. Without Toni she would truly be alone.

And here Cheryl went and caused the girl she loved to be kicked out of her own family.

 _Please don't leave me. I can't lose you too._

Toni pulled back out of the embrace and brought her hand to her face in an attempt to wipe away the fallen tears. It was no use as fresh tears appeared just as quickly as she could wipe the old away. "No one stood up for us. No one."

"I tried," Cheryl sighed, "I'm sorry I made it worse."

 _You make everything worse. You did this._

"I never thought he'd kick Fangs out too," she explained desperately, as if the future of her relationship depended on what she said next. "I swear, TT. I only meant to point out the double standard. I was trying to convince him to change his mind. I should have just taken the blame. I should have told him to let you stay, and I'd leave. I shouldn't have never kissed that stupid painting in the first place. I am _so_ sorry. Please… just please don't break up with me."

Toni's eyes widened, "Cheryl, I'm not breaking up with you. Why… why would you think that?"

"I got you kicked out of your family. It's my fault. If you weren't with me… If it wasn't for me he probably would have let you stay, like he planned to do with Fangs before I opened my big mouth."

"Babe," Toni sniffled back unshed tears, "please don't blame yourself. I'm just as guilty as you are."

Cheryl nodded humbly, something anyone else would believe to be out of character for the redhead had they seen it. Toni, on the other hand, was the only one she felt safe enough with to lower the walls and be her authentic self. Everyone else got the mask she used to hide just how insecure and alone she felt, but not her girlfriend.

"There's really nothing we can do?"

Toni shook her head. "No. I don't think there is, Cher." She pushed herself off the floor before offering her hand to Cheryl in order to help her girlfriend up as well. "We should take these off," Toni commented, brushing her hand over the red lapel at Cheryl's chest.

The redhead gave a small nod before removing the jacket from her arms solemnly. "It was good while it lasted, TT. Thank you for trying to give me a family." She bought back tears.

The people of Riverdale never thought Cheryl Blossom was serious about being a member of the Serpents. They often scoffed at the idea of the Northside Princess joining a gang formerly from the Southside. Quite a few of the Serpents had been against it too, claiming she was joining as a spy for her mother. That was a claim Toni all too quickly shot down. Anyone who knew Cheryl would know she'd never do a single thing to help her mother, let alone do something to betray her girlfriend.

Those naysayers were _so_ wrong in their judgment it made Toni fume, but Cheryl felt she deserved it, even while adamantly denying their accusations. She had once been the most vocal objector when the Southside students migrated to Riverdale High. Everything had changed since then. Cheryl had grown to not only respect the Serpents but to love and care about them. She had grown to consider them her family only to be discarded, but she supposed she should be used to that by now.

"That didn't feel like family tonight," Toni retorted as she removes her jacket. She held it in her grasp, staring down at the Serpent patch adorning the back. "I'm so _mad_ , Cheryl."

The comment caused Cheryl to flinch.

"Not at you," the pink haired girl continued. "I'm not mad at you okay, babe? I'm mad at everyone else. Except maybe Fangs. No one stood up for us and told Jughead he was wrong. My grandpa _founded_ the Serpents! They are, well _were_ I guess, my legacy. And not _one_ person defended me. No Serpent stands alone? No Serpent stands alone my ass. Did you know Jug didn't even _want_ to join the Serpents?" She didn't wait for Cheryl to answer. "He wanted nothing to do with us when he first got to Southside High. FP thought his teenage son was the best person to lead when he didn't even want to join a year earlier. If teenagers are fit to lead a gang then it should have been me! I'm a damn Serpent by _blood!"_ Toni tightened her grip on the Serpent jacket in her hands, _her_ jacket, before fresh sobs erupted from her small body. She threw the jacket across the room in anger and screamed.

It was a noise Cheryl would not soon forget. It was a sound of pure agony. Quickly, Cheryl tossed her jacket onto the bed and pulled Toni close.

"I've got you, TT."

"It hurts," the smaller girl cried. "It hurts."

The redhead bit back her own sobs, "I know. Let it out. I've got you."

Toni could only nod into the embrace.

"I mean what kind of gang bans crime anyways," Cheryl huffed.

The pink haired girl let out a small laugh, distracting herself from the tears. "Right?"

Cheryl brushed a stray piece of pink tinted hair away from Toni's face. "We _will_ fix this, TT. I promise. I don't know how we will or how long it will take, but I will not give up until you're a Serpent again. I'll figure out a way to make you the damn queen if I have to."

"I love that you care so much." Her eyes were bloodshot from crying but still managed to encompass so much adoration as she met her girlfriend's gaze.

"I care so much about _you."_

Toni pulled away and walked to where her jacket had landed earlier. She bent down to pick it up and held it close to her chest. A deep exhale came from her lungs as she composed herself. "This is who I am, Cheryl. I'm a Serpent. It's who you are too. No matter what Jughead says, he can't take that away from us." She walked over to the bed and picked up Cheryl's jacket as well before holding it out for her girlfriend to accept. "When we came to Riverdale High we were banned from wearing these at school. That's why Jughead made the Swords and Serpents club, for us to be able to still be Serpents at school under everyone's noses. He said we were lying low in the tall grass."

Cheryl huffed in disgust at the mention of their former leader.

"That's what we're going to do, Cher. We _are_ Serpents, whether we wear these jackets or not. So for now we will hang them up," she pulled a hanger from the closet and respectfully hung up her jacket before turning back to Cheryl signaling the redhead to do the same. While her girlfriend hung up her jacket, Toni continued, "This isn't over. We are lying low that's all. The Uktena founded the Serpents. My _grandfather_ founded the Serpents. I'm not going down without a fight." She wiped more tears from her face. "Are you with me, Cher?"

The redhead nodded, still unsure what she ever did to deserve the love of the girl before her. "I'm with you no matter what, TT. In unity there is strength."

Toni smirked, "I love you."

"And I you," Cheryl replied, a smile gracing her lips.

More tears would be shed that night as the girls mourned what had happened, but they both knew things were far from over. Neither were the type to surrender, and this was far too important to give up without a fight. They didn't know if that fight would come in the following weeks or months, only that it was coming.

It wasn't over. Not by a long shot. And luckily for them, Cheryl had impeccable aim.


End file.
